Chapter 3 of The Spread Eagle and Other Stories is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Spread Eagle and Other Stories is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What's he doing now?" asked Pedder. "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English. Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed. But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it? And yet he did it."
Chapter 3 of The Spread Eagle and Other Stories is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?”
British historian remembered for his ten-volume history of England (1829-1902)
From this reading “"He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.”
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading “Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.”
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading “But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?”
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.”
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading “But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?”
attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading “Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.”
hard to endure
From this reading “"He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet he did it."
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What's he doing now?" asked Pedder.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "What's he doing now?" asked Pedder.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
British historian remembered for his ten-volume history of England (1829-1902)
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "What's he doing now?" asked Pedder.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "What's he doing now?" asked Pedder.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's he doing now?" asked Pedder.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.
attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Of course it seems impossible that he should succeed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
hard to endure
From this reading "He's trying," said Gardiner, "to do it in English.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's he doing now?" asked Pedder.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But then it was absolutely impossible for Shakespeare to do what he did with the English language, wasn't it?
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet he did it."
Chapter 3 of The Spread Eagle and Other Stories by Gouverneur Morris holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 3 holds 417 sentences of The Spread Eagle and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Spread Eagle and Other Stories by Gouverneur Morris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Spread Eagle and Other Stories by Gouverneur Morris on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4414 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9888 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9888, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 367 minutes of reading across 883 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Spread Eagle and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Spread Eagle and Other Stories to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Spread Eagle and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
